Page 26 - 200802 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2008

26 S Stranger Called Christ 26 tranger Called Christ The Bible as Graphic name Siku, grew up in England and Nigeria in Author calls alien life The Bible as Graphic Novel, With a Samurai an Anglican family of Nigerian descent. He 'scientifically reasonable' Novel, With a Samurai recently graduated from theology school in tranger Called Christ S Stranger Called Christ London. For years, he has worked as an artist, and a rendering of the Bible was the best way of glorifying God, he said in a telephone interview By: Kelli Long By NEELA BANERJEE from London. Jeff Bennett saw an unidentified flying While younger adults and teenagers are object once, but he is not convinced that aliens Ajinbayo Akinsiku wants the world to the most avid consumers of manga, Mr. were on board. know Jesus Christ, just not the gentle, blue-eyed Akinsiku said he had heard from grandmothers Bennett shared his views of life in the Christ of old Hollywood movies and illustrated who picked up the book as a gift for their universe with a packed room in the Chemistry- Bibles. grandchildren. The book is meant to be a first Physics Building last night during a speech Mr. Akinsiku says his Son of God is “a taste of the Bible, which many feel too based on his book "Beyond UFOs: The search samurai stranger who’s come to town, in intimidated to read, Mr. Akinsiku said. Every for Extraterrestrial Life and Its Astonishing silhouette,” here to shake things up in a new, few pages, a small tab refers to the biblical Implications for Our Future." much-abridged version of the Bible rooted in verses the action covers. Bennett's research of the universe has manga, the Japanese form of graphic novels. “For the unchurched, the book is to led him to investigate the possibilities of life on “We present things in a very brazen show that this thing, the Bible, is still relevant,” other planets. This investigation has made him way,” said Mr. Akinsiku, who hopes to become he said, “because it talks about what human almost certain that life exists outside of Earth. an Anglican priest and who is the author of “The beings do when they encounter God.” "There are a lot of possible homes for Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation.” Christian thinkers have tried to make the life," Bennett said. "That's why it seems “Christ is a hard guy, seeking revolution and Bible accessible for centuries, scholars said. scientifically reasonable that there is life on revolt, a tough guy.” Stained glass windows related Bible stories other planets." Publishers with an eye for evangelism when Europe was largely illiterate. New But Bennett is still looking for the and for markets have long profited by directing printing technology in the 19th century made it answers to where this life is and why it has not Bibles at niche markets: just-married couples, possible to mass-produce Bibles, including tried to contact humans. teenage boys, teenage girls, recovering addicts. illustrated versions, said Peter J. Thuesen, The author of numerous texts, ranging Often the lure is cosmetic, like a jazzy new acting chairman of religious studies at Indiana from college textbooks to children's books, cover. University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Bennett believes that alien life may be possible, Sales of graphic novels, too, have grown As literacy rose (and marketing but that other intelligent life forms are so far by double digits in recent years. So it makes flowered), individual families bought Bibles. In advanced they would not likely let humans sense that a convergence is under way, as the 1960s and 1970s, books like the Living know they existed. Technologically speaking, graphic novels take up stories from the Bible, Bible and the Way came out, written in Bennett said he would expect them to be nearly often in startling ways. In the last year, several vernacular English, although scholars criticize 50,000 years ahead of Earth's civilizations. major religious and secular publishing houses their accuracy. Bennett only talked about conclusions have announced or released manga religious In the past decade, as consumer products he has drawn from his research and avoided stories. have been directed at niche markets and speculation, said physics junior Allan Straub. The medium shapes the message. religious services tailored to different groups, "He avoided any sort of jumping to Manga often focuses on action and epic. Much publishers have made more money by creating conclusions and stuck to the facts," Straub said. of the Bible, as a result, ends up on the cutting Bibles to serve certain groups, said Lynn "That is the way science is done. If we actually room floor, and what remains is darker. Schofield Clark, director of the Estlow want to learn, we can't jump to conclusions." “It is the end of the Word as we know it, International Center for Journalism and New Leeann York, an astronomy professor at and the end of a certain cultural idea of the Media at the University of Colorado. UK, encouraged her class to attend the speech, Scriptures as a book, as the Book,” Timothy A few years ago, for example, the which was hosted by the Society of Physics Beal, professor of religion at Case Western religious publisher Thomas Nelson issued a Students, because she talks about man's search Reserve University, said of the reworking of the Bible for teenage girls called Revolve, which for life outside the planet in her class. Bible in new forms, including manga. “It opens looked like a glossy magazine. It sold 40,000 "I hope that my students gained an up new ways of understanding Scripture and copies in a month, Ms. Clark said, a staggering appreciation for how much we can learn about ends up breaking the idols a bit.” number for a Bible. other places without actually going there and While known for characters with big The goal of the Bibles is not just to win also how little we actually know," York said. eyes and catwalk poses, manga is also defined people to Christ, but to particular ways of To Bennett, the real question that needs by a laconic, cinematic style, with characters thinking, said Jason BeDuhn, associate to be answered is not whether intelligent life often doing more than talking. professor of religious studies at Northern exists on other planets, but, "Will we prove that In a blurb for the Manga Bible, which is Arizona University. Mr. Akinsiku said the there is intelligent life on Earth?" [] published by Doubleday, the archbishop of biblical message he wanted to underscore was Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, is justice, especially for the poor. quoted as saying, “It will convey the shock and His book has been criticized by some freshness of the Bible in a unique way.” manga bloggers as too wordy. Mr. Akinsiku said No doubt. In the Manga Bible, whose the exposition gave readers a quick heroes look and sound like skateboarders in understanding of the Bible. His next project is a It’s Bedouin gear, Noah gets tripped up counting the manga life of Christ. He has 300 pages to lay it It’s animals in the Ark: “That’s 11,344 animals? out, which means there will be a lot more the the Arggh! I’ve lost count again. I’m going to have action, a lot less talking, something like Clint Easter Easter to start from scratch!” Eastwood in the Galilee. [] Doggy! Abraham rides a horse out of an Doggy! explosion to save Lot. Og, king of Bashan, looms like an early Darth Vader. The Sermon on the Mount did not make the book, though, because there was not enough action to it. The Manga Bible sold 30,000 copies in Great Britain, according to Doubleday. The print run in this country is 15,000, and it sells for $12.95. Mr. Akinsiku, 42, who uses the pen